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lundi 11 décembre 2006

31-10 Agouti Beni Mellal 210Km No bridge

We don’t leave early this morning. During yesterday stage, Oil has leaked from the spare oil can, there is oil everywhere in the bag, I hate oil, cleaning.We leave at 9:30 AM, the guides in the guesthouse told us the track is ok until Zaouia Ahansal, what’s a good news. We stop for purchasing at the small store, usual picnic, sardines laughing cow and bread.

The track goes through several villages. At Tabant we are looking for a site with dinosaur footprint, we turn a little, I find the way but there is a ford to cross, we want not to get wet the feet this morning, we give up.

super market

At Ifrane we don’t take the main track, we go straight, we ride in a river bed during a while, then we go up on a holed track, and then we arrive on the main track which is like a highway regarding what have had until now.

This track is very easy to ride, and the landscapes are wonderful. As far as Zaouia Ahansal the track stands above 2000m.

Djebel Azourki 3700 m

Tracks at 2400 2500 m

Pass at 2772 m

We cross many pass with more than 2600m high and the highest 2772m.

During the descent we stop the engines, free wheels, admiring the landscapes ( more than 1000m down).

Arrived to Zaouia Ahansal, we stop to visit the village. Local guides ask us if we want to eat, to sleep etc. They say to us that the track to the Cathedral rock is broken.

Well good news. Where ?, 30 km far away from here.

We have enough gas for 150km, if we have to get back, the next village with gas is Azilal around 100 km. Until now each time somebody said us “ you cannot pass” we succeed to pass, anyway we take a chance.

On the track we talk with a guy in a very old Land Rover, he explains us that in the village Tillouguite the bridge has been taken away by the river and the cars cannot cross. We ask for bikes but he doesn’t know. The problem is as far as Tilouguite it takes 60km and not 30, if we have to return we won’t have enough gas. He says we can find gas in the village.Like often, explanations are not clear, anyway we go. Inch’Allah.

We arrive to the well known Cathedral rock, superb but at this time the memory card of my digital camera decides to give up the trip. I cannot take any picture , but also I’m afraid to lose all the pictures already taken. Everything is going better.

Arriving to Tilouguite, there are 3 or 4 Land rover parked on the edge of the track, in fact we can see the supports of the bridge, but without bridge. We approach and on the right hand we see people crossing the river on an old bridge, with a car it’s not possible to cross but no problem with a bike.

"Hé, Patrick, on est moulu Hein !!!"

Where is the bridge ?

Helmet is mandatory!!! Old bridgeSo happy!!!!

Pic-nic at the bar in Tilouguite.

The road until Beni Mellal, the last bridge for today.

hôtel Tasmmet, 130 Dh bedroom, hot shower.

We look at a bar to have a beer, it's not very easy, finally we find ( without GPS ). A large smoky room, full of people ( men only ) with a brand new flat screen TV, waiting for a football game ( Barcelona ) it's funny. As the bar is crowded, the barman shows us a table where two guys are already installed. We start to discuss with Abdou, very funny guy, we offer him a beer, he explains us a lot of things regarding Morocco, he is Berber and not Arab, it's very different. He gives us an address for a typical cheap restaurant where we can eat for 6€. It's close to the hotel, tajine kefta so good.

At the hotel I spend two hour to recover the pictures from the camera to the PocketPC, Ouf saved.